When you lay your head down on your pillow at night, close your eyes and drift off to sleep, what do you dream about?
If you've been having nightmares lately involving death, such as a car crashes, drowning, sinking in mud or being buried alive, then you might want to start paying closer attention to yourself each day and your dreams each night - as they could be a warning sign something deeper is going on in your life.
This is according to Dream decoder, Theresa Cheung, who has been researching and writing about dreams for the last 25 years and is best known for her book, The Dream Dictionary.
For National Stress Awareness Week, Theresa spoke exclusively to The Mirror about some of the common stress dreams we all have and why having nightmares is actually better for you than you think.
"Most dreams are actually anxiety-related and unfortunately the majority of our dreams tend to have a nightmarish dread and anxiety theme and that's for a reason, it's to help cathartically release that stress in the dream state where it is safe," Theresa explained.
"It is believed that dream recall (recalling your dreams in the morning) helps you pay attention to the stress going on in your waking life and rehearse scenarios in the sleep state that terrify you, so you kind of get it out of your system.
"I'd compare it to when you have a cold or the flu and you have a fever, it's a good sign that you're healing because your body's immune system is kicking in to help you heal.
"You need to have the symptoms to get better. Think of dreams as your body's natural healing, helping you heal psychologically and release tension and emotions.
"I actually get excited when I have a nightmare, because it shows that I'm being called to grow and learn something really important about myself.
"My intuition is calling me to evolve because there's something in my waking life that is blocking me, causing fear and doubt and I need to move beyond that, but I'm not able to do it in the waking state and that's because our rational, logical mind dominates the waking state.
"In the sleeping state the prefrontal cortex shuts down and you can really let your imagination and your emotions fly, and it's in that state you can make brainstorming connections and find out about things that you are denying the reality of in our waking life because your reasoning and your logic stops you from going there."
Theresa went on to share some warning signs and symbols in dreams which could suggest you're very stressed in your waking life and need to address the issue.
One of the biggest indicators of this, she claims, is if everything in your dream is "massively disproportionate to reality" - a bit like in Alice in Wonderland.
Additionally Theresa says dreams about death such as ones where you're drowning, being buried alive or in a car crash, can all be signs stress, as well as ones where you are put in a very vulnerable position like being nude in public, or being chased.
"All these are signs that there's something that your intuition is noticing during the day but you're not noticing and you urgently need to," she says.
However, some people who are overwhelmed with stress that has taken over their waking life, might find they do not dream at all or cannot recall their dreams - which Theresa believes could cause more stress and anxiety in the waking state.
"If you are going through periods of poor dream recall, I would urge everyone to activate their dream recall centres and that's in the brain. Because research has proved that it's good for reducing anxiety and stress. Indeed, if dream record is limited, it can lead to increased risk of depression and morbidity," the expert claims.
But there are several ways you can attempt to improve dream recall - including by adding more vitamin B to your diet.
Theresa also suggests taking a closer look at your sleep habits, adding: "Is your bedroom like your sleep temple? Are you enjoying sleep, getting a restful sleep? That's important.
"Now look at your day to day life, how much of your time do you suspend disbelief? You know, lose yourself in a great novel. There's a link between people who are fiction readers and gamers - they are massive dreamers.
"These things are good for us and it's why we love fantasy. Things like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter we do actually need this because that intuitive, imaginative part of us needs dream food. And when you watch all these things or read all these fantasy novels, what you're doing is you're feeding your that part of you that needs to appear in your dreams.
"So I would urge people to read more, game more, watch amazing fantasy movies or do some creative tasks like art, read poetry, this will all trigger vivid dreams."
Once your dream recall returns, Theresa advises keeping a dream journal and going back over what you remember each day.
"You can go back six months and I promise you, you will see how your dreaming mind has foreshadowed what's happening.
"I do think that in dreams there is a potential foreshadowing of future mindsets. You will see how your dreaming mind is actually warning you about a toxic person or a toxic situation.
"And when you recognise in hindsight how you're dreaming, that is when the power begins. You can start using it to really help you lead a more empowered life and also to be alert to stress triggers."
What to do if you can't get to sleep due to stress
If you're finding it hard to drift off as stress is keeping you awake each night, there might be a few tips and tricks you can try to get some shut eye.
Martin Seeley, Sleep Expert and CEO of MattressNextDay has shared his expert advice on doing just that.
He recommends: "Creating the right sleep environment is incredibly important, evaluating your sleep environment for possible stressors such as phones, laptops, tablets, harsh lighting and unsupportive/unsuitable bedding.
|Limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake of an evening is also advised, drinking caffeine of an evening will make you feel more awake and wired, and will also heighten any feelings of stress. If you want to have a bedtime hot drink, try a caffeine-free herbal tea.
"Take a warm shower or bath in the evening, this can help to unwind your body and mind and the heat should help with any feelings of stress before bed.
"Avoid blue light exposure before bed, so any phones, laptops, tablets etc. Practice good sleep hygiene, go to bed at a reasonable time and try to keep a regular and routine sleep schedule.
"Block journaling can also help. So, keep some time in the evening to write down what is making you feel stressed, often getting it written down physically can help to remove it from our subconscious.
"You may want to opt for white noise in your room as this can often help us to fall asleep quicker, or listen to a soothing playlist or podcast. Block out any light pollution from your room, you may want to try a sleep mask."
Do you have a story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email courtney.pochin@mirror.co.uk
